Theme: CATCH (65A. Verb associated with the beginnings of 18-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across)
18A. Impossible to get close to: COLD AS ICE. Catch a Cold.
26A. Surrender: WAVE A WHITE FLAG. Catch a Wave.
43A. "Jerry Maguire" catchphrase: SHOW ME THE MONEY. Catch a Show.
57A. Right-click result, often: POP-UP MENU. Catch a Pop-up (fly ball).
I like how CATCH is gridded at the very end, providing the ultimate "Aha" moment. And of course, at my solving level, I'd prefer the unifying clue to be "Seize, or verb associated with the beginnings of 18-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across).
Was surprised to see VETCH (28D. Climbing legume). I faintly remember Lemonade mentioned that this plant often appeared in his parents' old old NYT puzzles. No relationship to kvetch.
A bit of slog for me. I was not engaged and did not give the puzzle its deserved attention. Still in shock and saddened by the news of Dan Naddor. His family told me that Dan passed away on the eve of Dec 28, 2009, from the complications of the cancer treatment (radiation to head/neck). He was considered cancer-free.
Dan began constructing crosswords 5 years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer at the back of his throat at the age of 48. He quickly became probably the most prolific LAT constructor in the last few years. He told me constructing crossword distracted his brain so he would not focus on how lousy he felt physically. He family believed that this prolonged his life and gave him something to strive for & enjoy. Dan enjoyed reading our comments and "entertaining my friends each week in puzzle-land".
His family have started a Facebook page under Dan Naddor and said the crossword people are welcome to visit and post. They also mentioned that he had several puzzles on queue in LA Times and NY Times, so we will see his byline in 2010. Dan, you will be deeply missed!
Across:
1. Sluglike "Star Wars" crime lord: JABBA. Jabba the Hutt. Scrabbly corner.
6. Sound from someone who's down: SOB
9. Legal orders: WRITS
14. To go, in Grenoble: ALLER. French for "go". Grenoble is a city in SE France.
15. Supermarket chain founded in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance). Obtained the answer with the crosses.
16. Wore: HAD ON
17. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE
20. Lifetime-guaranteed lighters: ZIPPOS. Did quite a bit of Intellectual Property investigation for Zippo in China.
22. Soft drink choice: DIET COKE
23. Out of balance: A-LOP. Yep, it exists in some dictionary Argyle checked last time.
25. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone: LIA. Lia Fáil is pronounced like "Lee-a Fall". Had a ton of DF fun in the old TMS Daily puzzle.
33. Having a lot to lose, maybe?: OBESE. The clue sounds very Dan Naddor, doesn't it?
34. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS (Clifford)
35. Mme. in Madrid: SRA
37. Beach toy: KITE. PAIL too.
38. Circle Line : Hudson :: Bateaux-Mouches : __: SEINE. Bateaux-Mouches ("Fly Boats". Bateaux = boats. Mounches = Flies) are open excursion boats that provide visitors to Paris with a view of the city from along the river Seine, a la Wikipedia.
39. Smart guy?: ALEC. Smart Alec.
40. Wall St. enforcer: SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)
41. Wooden shoe: SABOT. Same root as sabotage, according to Kazie.
42. Send, so to speak: ELATE. Slangy "send", right?
46. Moo goo __ pan: GAI. Gai is literally "chicken" in Cantonese.
47. Apartment manager, for short: SUPE. Only in crossword world.
48. Lark: ESCAPADE. One of my favorite entries in this grid.
53. Indiana and Purdue, e.g.: RIVALS. Oh, I was unaware of this fact. Don't follow college sports.
59. Knot over: RETIE
60. Spitting __: IMAGE
61. Oven cleaner component: LYE
62. "__, Therefore I Am": Dennis Miller book: I RANT. See the book cover. New to me. Dennis Miller does rant a lot though.
63. Checked out before a heist: CASED
64. Nonexpert: LAY. Wrote down HAM first.
Down:
1. Cat's passion: JAZZ. Cool cat jazz.
2. Some glee club members: ALTI. Plural of alto?
4. Semi-soft Italian cheese: BEL PAESE. Literally "Beautiful Country" in Italian. I've never had it.
5. Anatomical rings: AREOLAE. Singular is Areola: Are(a) + Ola. The nipple rings.
6. [thus]: SIC. [error left as is].
7. Common prayer opening: O GOD. Not O LORD?
8. Island in the Java Sea: BALI
9. Hypotheticals: WHAT IFS
10. Imp: RASCAL
11. Personal: Pref.: IDIO. Or "Peculiar: Pref". As in idiosyncrasy.
12. Pendulum sound: TOCK. Tick too.
13. Bygone dagger: SNEE. Learned from doing crossword.
24. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. "Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat ...".
26. Stir-fry cookware: WOKS
27. "__ Irish Rose": ABIE'S. Abie is Irish Rose's lover.
29. Nincompoop: IDIOT
30. Tithe portions: TENTHS18A. Impossible to get close to: COLD AS ICE. Catch a Cold.
26A. Surrender: WAVE A WHITE FLAG. Catch a Wave.
43A. "Jerry Maguire" catchphrase: SHOW ME THE MONEY. Catch a Show.
57A. Right-click result, often: POP-UP MENU. Catch a Pop-up (fly ball).
I like how CATCH is gridded at the very end, providing the ultimate "Aha" moment. And of course, at my solving level, I'd prefer the unifying clue to be "Seize, or verb associated with the beginnings of 18-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across).
Was surprised to see VETCH (28D. Climbing legume). I faintly remember Lemonade mentioned that this plant often appeared in his parents' old old NYT puzzles. No relationship to kvetch.
A bit of slog for me. I was not engaged and did not give the puzzle its deserved attention. Still in shock and saddened by the news of Dan Naddor. His family told me that Dan passed away on the eve of Dec 28, 2009, from the complications of the cancer treatment (radiation to head/neck). He was considered cancer-free.
Dan began constructing crosswords 5 years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer at the back of his throat at the age of 48. He quickly became probably the most prolific LAT constructor in the last few years. He told me constructing crossword distracted his brain so he would not focus on how lousy he felt physically. He family believed that this prolonged his life and gave him something to strive for & enjoy. Dan enjoyed reading our comments and "entertaining my friends each week in puzzle-land".
His family have started a Facebook page under Dan Naddor and said the crossword people are welcome to visit and post. They also mentioned that he had several puzzles on queue in LA Times and NY Times, so we will see his byline in 2010. Dan, you will be deeply missed!
Across:
1. Sluglike "Star Wars" crime lord: JABBA. Jabba the Hutt. Scrabbly corner.
6. Sound from someone who's down: SOB
9. Legal orders: WRITS
14. To go, in Grenoble: ALLER. French for "go". Grenoble is a city in SE France.
15. Supermarket chain founded in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance). Obtained the answer with the crosses.
16. Wore: HAD ON
17. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE
20. Lifetime-guaranteed lighters: ZIPPOS. Did quite a bit of Intellectual Property investigation for Zippo in China.
22. Soft drink choice: DIET COKE
23. Out of balance: A-LOP. Yep, it exists in some dictionary Argyle checked last time.
25. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone: LIA. Lia Fáil is pronounced like "Lee-a Fall". Had a ton of DF fun in the old TMS Daily puzzle.
33. Having a lot to lose, maybe?: OBESE. The clue sounds very Dan Naddor, doesn't it?
34. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS (Clifford)
35. Mme. in Madrid: SRA
37. Beach toy: KITE. PAIL too.
38. Circle Line : Hudson :: Bateaux-Mouches : __: SEINE. Bateaux-Mouches ("Fly Boats". Bateaux = boats. Mounches = Flies) are open excursion boats that provide visitors to Paris with a view of the city from along the river Seine, a la Wikipedia.
39. Smart guy?: ALEC. Smart Alec.
40. Wall St. enforcer: SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)
41. Wooden shoe: SABOT. Same root as sabotage, according to Kazie.
42. Send, so to speak: ELATE. Slangy "send", right?
46. Moo goo __ pan: GAI. Gai is literally "chicken" in Cantonese.
47. Apartment manager, for short: SUPE. Only in crossword world.
48. Lark: ESCAPADE. One of my favorite entries in this grid.
53. Indiana and Purdue, e.g.: RIVALS. Oh, I was unaware of this fact. Don't follow college sports.
59. Knot over: RETIE
60. Spitting __: IMAGE
61. Oven cleaner component: LYE
62. "__, Therefore I Am": Dennis Miller book: I RANT. See the book cover. New to me. Dennis Miller does rant a lot though.
63. Checked out before a heist: CASED
64. Nonexpert: LAY. Wrote down HAM first.
Down:
1. Cat's passion: JAZZ. Cool cat jazz.
2. Some glee club members: ALTI. Plural of alto?
4. Semi-soft Italian cheese: BEL PAESE. Literally "Beautiful Country" in Italian. I've never had it.
5. Anatomical rings: AREOLAE. Singular is Areola: Are(a) + Ola. The nipple rings.
6. [thus]: SIC. [error left as is].
7. Common prayer opening: O GOD. Not O LORD?
8. Island in the Java Sea: BALI
9. Hypotheticals: WHAT IFS
10. Imp: RASCAL
11. Personal: Pref.: IDIO. Or "Peculiar: Pref". As in idiosyncrasy.
12. Pendulum sound: TOCK. Tick too.
13. Bygone dagger: SNEE. Learned from doing crossword.
24. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. "Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat ...".
26. Stir-fry cookware: WOKS
27. "__ Irish Rose": ABIE'S. Abie is Irish Rose's lover.
29. Nincompoop: IDIOT
31. Narnia lion: ASLAN. Turkish for "lion". I've never seen "The Chronicles of Narnia". The "Born Free" lioness is ELSA.
32. Norwegian marathoner Waitz: GRETE. This lady won a record nine-time New York City Marathon. Not a familiar name to me at all. Is Grete pronounced like "great"?
36. __-deucy: ACEY. Guessed.
38. "I do not like them, __": Seuss line: SAM-I-AM. From "Green Eggs and Ham".
39. Medicinal plant: ALOE VERA
41. Traded: SWAPPED
42. Derived from observation: EMPIRIC. John Locke is the founder of Empiricism.
44. Model railroad scale: O GAUGE. Or O SCALE. We had this clue before.
45. Part of EEC: Abbr.: EUR. EEC = European Economic Community
48. Like "Lawrence of Arabia": EPIC
49. Vedic drink for an immortal soul: SOMA. The drug in "Brave New World".
50. Balancing experts, briefly?: CPAS. Nailed it.
51. Valley: DELL
52. One-named New Age singer: ENYA
54. Rat tail?: A TAT. Rat-a-tat. Good clue.
55. Friend of Pete and Julie on "The Mod Squad": LINC
56. Brother of Abel: SETH. Broth of Cain too.
58. One-eighty: UEY. Slang for U-turn?
Answer grid.
C.C.
Glad to see your computer has became operational again. I had a problem about a year ago. I sent it in to be fixed and it was the longest 72 hours that I ever witnessed.
ReplyDeleteCommon prayer opening: O GOD
Lou Dobbs heard that and said now we are praying to the Irish?
Anatomical rings: AREOLAE Nice picture I always enjoy the day when this clue is in the puzzle.
Indiana and Purdue, e.g.: RIVALS. Oh, I was unaware of this fact. Don't follow college sports.
Speaking of a rivalry
CC be sure to watch CBS on Saturday at 3:30 PM a big rivalry game will air between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. I'm hoping Louisville will win for the third year in a row.
We are U of L We are Louisville C-A-R-D-S CARDS CARDS CARDS! Good luck U of L.
Democrat, Kazie et al,
ReplyDeleteMy error yesterday. Dan had throat cancer (hence trouble with swallowing food), not lung cancer. I was too dazed yesterday.
Jazzbumpa had a fine tribute to Dan on his blog.
ReplyDeleteI am still speechless; I was not here yesterday and went to catch up, and was so pleased to see a Dan Naddor Puzzle. One of the hardest parts of aging, is knowing so many more people who die, and then are gone. I remember from his interview he said he had fifty puzzles in the LATimes pipeline, so we will have some more entertaining moments. The rest seem silly now; I wish all of the bloggers here, even the silly, irritating anons a happy and HEALTHY New Year.
ReplyDeletestill any cancer is a horrible way to die. Maybe stem cell research is a way to fight cancer.
ReplyDeleteI have read in Germany about a man had lost his jaw bone to cancer and with stem cells from his spine German doctors where able to grow him a new one. Science is an amazing thing.
Stop the wars. Spend money on cancer research.
ReplyDeleteA sad good morning to C.C. and all. I just finished reading the late posts from last night and learned of Dan's passing. I am stunned!! To C.C. and Jerome my deepest sympathy and to Dan's family my condolences.
ReplyDeleteC.C.: Thanks for the additional information about Dan. Damn, now I'm crying again! I'm such a sentimental sap...
ReplyDeleteI keep going back to Dennis' comment too: This sucks. This really sucks!
Once they've all run in the paper, it would be so nice if his family were to publish a book of Dan's puzzles, for those of us that missed his earlier work.
JD: Thanks for the group hug.
Tonight, maybe after toasting in the New Year, we could all raise our glass to Dan too...
Then maybe another toast to C.C. Argyle and all the bloggers here.
Cheers!
I was saddened to learn of Dan's passing. Deepest sympathy to the family.
ReplyDeleteIn a few short months I came to realize what a terrific talent he had to create textured sets of fills and clues which engaged us in a special way. We were privileged to have had him in our midst and he will be missed.
A fair slog today. Had difficulty with the E center. G'led GRETE, but don't follow the 'send' clue with ELATE. Very clever clues for JAZZ, SEINE, and CPAS.
ReplyDeleteRASCAL is English for Spitzboov:-)
We have a Blue Moon today (2nd full moon in the same month). There is also a partial lunar eclipse mainly visible in the Eastern Hemisphere. (Scroll down on the link to see the map.)
Happy New Year to everyone.
No problems. 20 minutes. No help.
ReplyDeleteLike all of our family here, I was shocked and saddened to learn of Dan's passing. May he rest in peace. He brought much pleasure to all of us.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when I get to heaven, there will be a stack of Dan Naddor puzzles waiting for me, and Dan availabe to give me hints to his hard clues.
Thanks for the extra info, C.C.
ReplyDeleteI had a real slog on today's puzzle. Had to g a whole lot, and then still didn't get everything before coming here. Drew a complete blank on some that should have been easy, such as ALEC--thought it must be the character's name in "Get Smart" so had ALAN (no idea about what the name was).
Then, I would never think of KITE as a beach toy, g'ed ABIE, had IMPLIED for EMPIRIC, so never got CATCH. Also had RIVERS for RIVALS (no sports knowledge), VALE for DELL, and blanked on SOMA, stared at P-PUPMAN- for ever, and didn't get POPUP MENU or LAY. I've used UEY a thousand times, but never would have expected it here.
I feel like a failure.
I couldn't find the Facebook page for Dan this morning. Have they removed it? Too many responses perhaps? I'll try again.
I forgot--I got SEINE, but didn't get the Circle Line/Hudson part. I knew of course what bateaux mouches are, but the rest of the clue threw me for a while. And since I didn't ever get CATCH, I missed the theme too.
ReplyDeleteFarewell, Dan. It's true what they say about only the good dying young. :(
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All, About that theme.....CATCH had to be followed by A in order to make the theme answers COLD, WAVE and SHOW work. Then, they were one word connections, but is POP UP one word or two (and even C.C. had to explain that it is a fly ball)? It just didn't work well for me
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I really liked BELPAESE, ESCAPADE. EMPIRIC and the full ALOE VERA (not just our more familiar Aloe).
On the other, other hand, here comes SRA and ENYA again. I guess this puzzle just split down the middle for me of what I liked and what I didn't.
C.C. I believe the second "E" in GRETE is pronounced as "EH"
It may take us all a while to come to terms with yesterday's news. I hope it gives Dan Naddor's family some comfort to know that he had so many friends and admirers of his work.
40A. Still trying to make make noone, nobody, anybody,fit in this spot. Guess I'll have to leave it blank!
ReplyDeleteC.C.,
ReplyDeleteCA's right-- final "e" in Germanic and Scandinavian languages is always pronounced, unless in a word borrowed from French or English where it would be silent.
I was able to access Dan's Facebook page from yesterday's link CA posted, but not directly from my FB page.
Very sad to hear of Dan's passing, my condolences to his friends and family.
ReplyDelete"Stop the wars. Spend money on cancer research."
I agree. The one trillion (or more) spent on the Iraqi war is both criminal and immoral. Unfortunately the US economy is based on war, nothing us little people can do about that.
Tough puzzle today.
Happy New Year's Eve, everyone. Today is a traditional time for reflection (well, that and partying!). I don't make unrealistic resolutions anymore, but this poem expresses how I hope I can live my life. It was sent to me by a friend who knows that facing both our trials and victories with grace and good cheer are marks of a happy life. I have been saving it for New Year's Eve to post here. Coincidentally, it also seems to me to be a fitting tribute to Dan Naddor. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteLife
Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul;
Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal;
Not mourning for the things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.
So let the way wind up the hill or down,
O'er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
And hope the road's last turn will be the best.
- Henry Van Dyke
I'm not sure what I can add to the comments of others regarding Dan Naddor. My impression is that in addition to being a first-rate crossword puzzle constructor (and to most of us, one of our favorites), he was also a first-rate, high class guy. He certainly proved that to us a few months ago when the little disagreement occurred on this blog. When challenged, he responded immediately with a sincere apology. It's easy to be gracious when you're right and know it; it's somewhat more difficult when you've made a mistake and realize it. Knowing in retrospect that he was facing an uncertain and stressful future makes his initial response more understandable and his gracious mea culpa even more classy. Seeing his pictures with family has, possibly too late, made him seem even more of a "real" presence in each of our lives.
ReplyDeleteI have thought it a little odd that we have seen so many of his puzzles in the last few weeks, sometimes two in the same week, I think. I suppose that Rich knew more of his condition than we did.
As we head into 2010, maybe the example Dan set in his recent posts here can be a guide for our blogging etiquette. (Looking in the mirror as I write that)
RIP Dan Naddor, class act
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeletea sad day for sure. Well said, Jazzbumpa, and Annette,you made me cry. I will toast Dan, and all of you. Also gone this week is my college roommate and my girls' 1st babysitter, who passed away from lung cancer.At her funeral on Tues. I didn't speak, and now I knew I should have. The group only knew Fran. I knew Frannie.
On to this c/w. Well, I almost gave up and when I got to smart guy, I filled in "not I". So I gave myself an hour and came here to fill in the last 6: empiric,escapade, pop up menu.I did not CATCH the theme.
Dell was an a-ha as I know many other words for valley but the perps had to help there. Makes sense now, "The farmer in the dell" doh!Loved uey, but mine was missing a u.
CC, my lilies are blooming too ;-)
...........really
Happy new year to all of you, and to those of you who are daring to go out, be safe.
Good riddance to the tough 2009.
ReplyDeletewindover @ 11:19 very well said and I will ditto that.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiWASz41O0k&feature=youtube_gdata
ReplyDelete"send" clue
regarding send me, Sam Cooke says it all!
We say 'rat-tat-tat' in the east. Different parts of the country have different ways of saying the same thing. However, "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to all.
ReplyDeleteHope to do the puzzle later so I'm trying not to read anything yet.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
A Good afternoon to CC and all on this sad day.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of LIA FAIL. It may have appeared before but I have not seen it.
UEY to me is a little bit of a stretch. Not sure about LAY either. Was stumped completely by the N W corner. Belpaese was an unknown. Had LORD for 7 D initially. Believe IGA is mostly an eastern chain.
Liked 30A smart guy, 42A send ,so to speak.
Be safe everybody.
Good morning C.C. and all, another late post because of snow plowing chores this morning. Again, I had a real slog with the crossword today. I got no traction in the top half so I moved to the lower half, but due to my own errors I made it more difficult than necessary. I had H O Gage for 44D and spelled 55D as link and not "linc", both of which caused me a lot of problems. I finally got the lower half, but could not complete the upper half without help.
ReplyDelete1A “jabba” and 18A “cold as ice” were such a long time in revealing themselves and I was completely of course with 1D ‘jazz” as I was thinking feline. Oh well maybe I will do better tomorrow.
Hope you all have a safe and sane New Years Eve and please drive safely as I would like to see all of you here tomorrow.
RIP Dan.
WH,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your post. I felt guilty about my comment on that day to which you referred, but not knowing at the time that he was even ill, I didn't anticipate the frustration it must have invoked in him. You expressed what I've had in my mind since last night. Thanks again.
Irish Jim,
Like I said earlier, I've used the term "chuck a uey" many times, but wouldn't even have known how to spell uey, let alone expect it here. I'm not even sure if it is used in the USA, is it?
Now I find myself wanting
ReplyDeleteTo marry you and take you home
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You, you, you, you send me
I know you send me
I know you send me
Honest you do
Kazie: Yes, we use the term UEY here too, but with "make", rather than "chuck".
ReplyDeleteJD: Your "not I" fill made me laugh! This was a really rough puzzle for me too. I googled a lot, then filled in a little more, then came here for a couple strategic words, then was able to completed it filling in off those.
I don't do Facebook so I can't speak to that, but I hope Dan Naddor's family reads the many fine tributes found here.
ReplyDeleteTfrank - I particularly liked your vision of heaven, with a stack of Dan's puzzles waiting for you (with Dan himself providing tips).
To borrow a couple of lines from a tune we'll hear a few times this day, Dan Naddor is certainly appreciated around these parts for the cup of kindness he shared with all of us. He's one "olde acquaintance" not soon forgot.
On a more trivial note (literally), here's a few year-end stats (since March 23, 2009, Monday thru Saturday only):
Constructors used: 92 (five of which were Rich Norris in disguise).
Constructors seen most (5 or more times);
34 Dan Naddor
11 Barry Silk
10 Donna Levin
9 David Cromer
9 Jack McInturff
8 Don Gagliardo
7 Doug Peterson
6 Fred Jackson
5 Gail Grabowski
5 Pancho Harrison
5 Mike Peluso
5 Bruce Venzke
Of the above, Doug Peterson, Barry Silk, and Dan Naddor were the 3 toughest constructors for me, as my average solve times for those were 32-36 minutes.
I had my best time averages with Donna Levin, Pancho Harrison and David Cromer (15-18 minutes).
Person most responsible for turning an occasional diversion into an intoxicating addiction: C.C. I can't begin to thank you enough.
I've always used "pull a U-ey" but as you can see by the number of Google hits, it's not the most common.
ReplyDeletemake a U-ey 99,200
bust a U-ey 38,900
chuck a U-ey 37,700
pull a U-ey 18,100
bang a uey 17,000
So sorry to hear of Dan Naddor's death. He shall be missed. My condolences to his family.
ReplyDeleteMay you all have a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.
Talk to y'all next year!
I must be off
BTW. I CANNOT see how a silly duck can ever hurt a buckeye. The shell is too hard and even if they could get to the meat - it's POISONOUS!!
ReplyDeleteIMBO
Hello All--A rather difficult puzzle for me today, but with the help of Mr. G. I was able to fill in all the answers before I read C.C.'s post. I stumbled with several unknowns, "Waiting For Lefty, playwright", Circle Line:, and Norwegian marathoner. My eraser had quite a workout today.
ReplyDeleteJD, Not I, says it perfectly for Smart Guy--especially today!
CA, Thank you for the excellent poem today. It was perfect for how every one is feeling today, this last day of 2009. The words New Friendship, and High Adventure speak to me about this Blog and all the new friends that I've made and the Adventure of new learning.
Happy New Year Everyone.
Happy New Year Everyone
ReplyDeleteArgyle,
ReplyDeleteNever heard of any except the first one.
I have said "make a UU".
Kazie, you have nothing to feel guilty about. I think all constructors learn to accept criticism. It goes with the territory. Besides that was all handled with grace and tact by all.
Didn't do the puzzle today; too busy and then had problems with my hand.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as familiar with Dan Naddor as most of you, but it is so sad he died so young. He didn't even die from the disease, but from the treatment.
Happy New Year, y'all!
happy new year; may all your spaces be filled in with love and joy and health
ReplyDeleteGood evening all.
ReplyDelete@C.C. You were given credit for your great Dan Naddor interview
on Crossword Confidental.
Making crab cakes for tonight and will have pork, mashed potatoes,
German sauerkraut and cooked apples tomorrow.
Sad,sad day. Having another puzzle
from Dan will be bitter-sweet.
After Bones tonight, I'll down-load tomorrow's puzzle and answer sheet and go to bed.
Everyone come back tomorrow.
eddyB
Happy New Year C.C. and to all of you.
ReplyDeleteI had a terrible time with this puzzle.
There were so many I didn't know, I just gave up for now..may go back later and give it another try.
Stay safe all of you who go out on this evening! As Dick said, we want you back tomorrow.
Buckeye, you may be surprised at how much damage a 'silly duck' can do. What the heck is a 'buckeye' anyway???
I am glad we will all see more of Dan's crosswords and that he was so prolific. He will be very fondly remembered.
A stop in to wish all of you the very best in the coming year.
ReplyDeleteDidn't have too much trouble with the puzzle except for the very far south eastern corner...always have heard Rat-a-tat-tat and still didn't really see it until I came here. Loved the fact that something besides Brie and Edam made it into a puzzle and I did originally have PAIL for a beach toy but knew it had to be WOKS at which point my husband said that KITE was so obvious...smarty! :oP
Still trying to absorb the death of Dan Naddor who was truly one of my most favorite cruciverbalists(I love that word)...A tough way to end the year and I truly feel for his lovely wife and son. A great loss to everyone. My sincere condolences to Jerome at this difficult time.
All of you be safe this New Year's eve. We get to babysit our lovely granddaughter so the kids can go to a very special New Year's Party that is hosted, very smartly, on NY time so that all the guests are on their way around 9:30 pm here on the west coast...avoiding the dangerous drivers and tonight, perhaps, the anticipated rain around midnight.
The best to you all.
Good Evening- I just wanted to express my sadness over the loss Dan Naddor. He was-and will still be an inspiration to all of puzzledom. My deepest sympathy to his family.
ReplyDeleteGood evening all,
ReplyDeleteI feel so sad for Dan Naddor's family. They have lost a precious part of their family far too early in time. My prayers are with them.
Though I have only met Dan through the puzzles and posts in cyberspace, I feel like I sort of "know" him. After joining this blog about six months ago and learning that puzzles have themes, and constructors often have unique styles, when I would awake to a Dan Naddor puzzle in the newspaper, I would smile and think "Yes!--this is going to be a challenge, but it will be fun! Let's see where he's taking us today." His puzzles show a clever sense of humor, and a delightfully entertaining style. Having a clue to Dan's style often helped, like in yesterday's puzzle, after getting some of the theme clues, I thought to myself, Dan often has a unifying clue dead center. Bingo! There it was.
When I'm working a lot, I clip and save the puzzles to work later, such as when waiting in line or whatever. I looked through my drawer of yet-to-do's, and found two of Dan's puzzles. One from 4/2/09, the other from 9/26/07. And yep, the latter had the unifying clue, again dead center!
I wish each and everyone here a blessed New Year. I have enjoyed getting to "know" some of you, as well, and look forward to spending time with you in 2010. Be safe tonight and always!
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteSpent the day in T-town, visiting with my brother-in-law one last time before he returns to CA.
tfrank - great vision of heaven. Wish i would have thought of it.
Mixed feelings about today's puzzle. Lot's of good, but there was a curl in it's fore 'ead.
I really wanted to love this one, with POP UP MENU, ESCAPADE, EMPERIC, and most especially SAM I AM!
But, if you have to use a word from a two-word phrase in Gallic, a French infinitive, a Spanish abbreviation (cutsey-clued in French), an Italian cheese nobody has ever heard of, a playwrite nobody has ever heard of, a Norwegian runner nobody has ever heard of, and SAD, sorry ALOP, it's time to WAVE THE WHITE FLAG, or, at least, use the DELETE key.
C.A. - thanks for the Dan Dyke poem. Nice.
Now that I know more about Dan's situation, it hits me even harder. Gloria's father had a squamous cell cancer in his throat, endured the ruinous radiation, breathed through a tracheotomy port and had a feeding tube in his stomach, after his throat was ruined.
Chet was a tough old coot and never complained. John Wayne was his idol, and he did him proud to the very end.
Happy New Year everyone. 2009 was rough in a lot of ways. I hope things start to look up soon, but am not optimistic.
Cheers!
JzB the still sad trombonist
To all the blogbuddies, May You All have a Bountiful 2010!!
ReplyDeleteBill Thompson seems to have confused "empiric" with "empirical".
ReplyDeleteAnd Jazzbumpa, there are two apostrophes more than are needed in your sentence "Lot's of good, but there was a curl in it's fore 'ead".
I had little time to attempt the puzzle today as year end was steaming to a halt. I was helping a co-worker complete her accounting as she can't seem to multi-task as well as I. To just make it brief, I had trouble, and was frustrated enough just to give up and post to you all.
ReplyDeleteJazz, are you really a "cool cat?" I think you might be.
WM, are you painting again?
C.C. what exactly did you do for Zippo? I am not familiar with the term of "intellectual property management" and what that might entail.
For smart guy I wanted Lemonade, Windhover, Argyle, Dennis, or DrDad but their names didn't fit.
Here's to wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead.
Signed affectionately, Lo-li-ta.
Would someone please help me set -up a photo on my profile?
ReplyDeleteThank you.
MR. ED
Last one for me tonight, just to say I hope we all have a wonderful 2010.
ReplyDeleteGuten Rutsch!
Bonne Année!
Happy New Year!
It's already here if you are in Europe, The Antipodes or Asia.
Good night all!
Jeannie -
ReplyDeleteI have my moments.
Full di'sclo'sure: I was thinking feline on 1A, and muffed 1D, much to my chagrin.
Punctuation Gestapo -
I was apo'strophe deprived in my 'sad childhood, and now cannot defeat the urge to overcompen'sate
Cheer's!
JzB the cool apo'strophe trombonist
Happy New Year, all.
ReplyDeleteFor those who have never had Bel Paese, please look for it in the market and try it. It is sublime.
DH and I had dinner on the sidewalk of a nice Naples restaurant and then saw the tail end of the fireworks off the Naples pier. Great way to celebrate. But it got down to 69, so I had to wear long pants and a sweater. And real shoes, not flip flops. (My son in MN says it's really hard to feel sorry for you, Mom.)
Cheers
To my dear friends, I wish a happy and prosperous New Year. You are so full of love. It is incredible that so many have come together sharing the gift of love from our friend Dan. You are a group of people that have sensitivity beyond compare. The feeling that I have received from you is LOVE, pure and simple. Thank you C.C. for being the vessel of this voyage. I hope you realize the importance of all of this, at least to me.
ReplyDeleteJazz, you cool cat' apostro'phe'd chall'eng'ed one. BRAV'O. You can play you'RE trumpet OH, mean't TROM'BONE any'time for me. Muuaah!!
ReplyDeleteAnon, just so you know this is a fun blog that we don't pick on peeps puncuality or spelling. Get a name and we might take you seriously. It's really not hard to do.
Happy New Years Jeannie!!!!
ReplyDeleteJeannie, you stupid blonde. You just mis-spelled the word punctuation. Am I really supposed to take criticism from you?
ReplyDeleteGood catch Anon. You are still on your toes getting the blonde part right. I made the typo (typographical error)intentionally. Just so you know, I may look the part, but am far from the fact.
ReplyDeleteRobin, I hope you are soaking in a hot tub right now as it is colder than Anon's heart right now here in MN. Happy New Year to you and I hope you continue to help people as I keep feeding trying to feed them fast food.
as I keep feeding trying to feed them fast food.
ReplyDeleteI am supposed to take you seriously? Come on. You are no one but a blow heart IMO.
Jeannie should we release our super powers on Anon or save them for a foe that is more deserving? SHAZZAH THE POWER!!!
ReplyDelete@mred Contact me via e-mail and I'll try to help you get a picture in your profile.
ReplyDeleteRobin, SHAZZ'AH, I HAVE SLAY'ED THE FO'E.
ReplyDeleteIn other words screw 'em. That apostrophe was used correctly.
Robin, good vibes to you and your husband in the upcoming year from one of your cyber friends. May your 2010 be everything you hope it to be.
Jeannie.
MUAHH @Jeannie and you as well. Yea 2010!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am the one who commented on "empiric" and apostrophes, but did not make any of the other comments. I would have thought that the creator of this crossword puzzle put in the wrong clue for "empiric" would be of more interest that discussing the propriety of mentioning another person's grammatical errors.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that if no one mentions the errors, then people are going to keep on making them, and I'll have to just sit silently as people do such things as use "set-up" as a verb. Why is it such a taboo to inform someone of grammatical errors? Are we to sacrifice the English language just to avoid hurting some feelings? And how is calling someone "Punctuation Gestapo" less rude than making a factual observation about someone's grammar?